She drew in her breath before she said,
“I-I am sorry – desperately sorry – it was – all my fault.”
Without thinking, she held out her hand almost as if she was pleading for Mr. Thorpe’s forgiveness.
He took it in his, saying,
“You are not to blame yourself. It would have happened sooner or later and how can I do anything but congratulate you on being so quick-witted and so brave as to save me?”
His fingers were strong, firm and comforting as they held hers and, although she was trembling with the shock of suddenly realising that it was her fault that he had been exposed to danger, she managed to say,
“P-please – go on.”
“Jenkins and I,” Mr. Thorpe continued without releasing her hand, “have been in some tight spots in the past and Jenkins knew that the one thing we did not want was
